Tommy Cooper

Caerphilly-born comedian Tommy Cooper served as a member of Field Marshal Montgomery’s Desert Rats in Egypt during WWII – which is where he originally picked up his trademark fez.

In the 1950s he branched out into television, appearing in series like It’s Magic and winning a run of his own series, including Cooper – Life With Tommy, Cooper’s Capers, Cooperama, Life With Cooper, Cooper At Large, The Tommy Cooper Hour, Cooper King-Size and Cooper – Just Like That!

Cooper’s death onstage from a heart attack in 1984 was witnessed by millions as it occurred during transmission of the ITV program Live From Her Majesty’s.

Most audience members and viewers initially thought it was part of his act.